New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Centre has been taking active steps to control the menace of counterfeiting and piracy, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao said on Tuesday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister said several initiatives to strengthen enforcement agencies through regular training and sensitization programmes have been undertaken by the Cell for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Promotion and Management (CIPAM) with Police, Customs and Judiciary.
The statement was in the context of United States Trade Representative (USTR) findings of its Annual Special 301 Report on Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List), in January this year, which highlights online and physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy.
Observations in the report are specific to addressing concerns of American consumers and it may be noted that India is under no obligation, to take action based on reports being generated by independent sovereigns, the minister's statement said.
Apart from creating legal deterrence, a large number of awareness and sensitization programmes are carried out to encourage customers to buy original products and inform them about the consequences of buying fake and counterfeit products.
Consumer Commissions entertain all types of consumer complaints, including complaints from buyers about fake goods, in terms of the various provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
However, no separate data with regard to such Consumer Complaints is maintained.
Every consumer case is decided / disposed of by the Consumer Commissions on the basis of facts & circumstances of each case and in terms of the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
The Consumer Commission are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award, wherever appropriate, compensation to consumers.
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